1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to tread members for passenger conveyance apparatus, in particular steps of escalators and pallets of travelling roads, of the type where in operation the lateral edge of the moving tread surface is closely spaced from a stationary skirt guard. The invention also provides insert strips for such tread members, passenger conveyance apparatus having such tread members and a method of adaptation of such apparatus.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In general, the step of an escalator comprises a step surface that has many cleats extending in the travel direction of the step and providing the tread surface, and a riser that extends downwardly from the front edge of the tread surface. The steps are endlessly coupled together and are circulated around a continuous path, and both side edges of the step surface and the riser are opposed, across a gap, to a skirt guard that covers the side portion of the inner lower portion of a balustrade that supports the handrail. See for example Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 67068/1980. Pallets of travelling roads are similar, except that they do not have risers.
When an escalator having such steps is in operation, relative motion occurs between the steps and the skirt guard. When a passenger standing on the step brings part of his footwear in contact with the skirt guard, the footwear may be caught in the gap between the step and the skirt guard. Such an accident may develop in the gap between the tread surface of the step and the skirt guard when the escalator is in rising operation, i.e. when the steps are upwardly moving, and develops in the gap between the riser of the step and the skirt guard when the escalator is in descending operation.
In order to prevent shoes or the like from being caught in the gap between the step and the skirt guard, the steps have been provided with caution members which indicate the safe range for the feet on the steps, so that footwear will not be brought into contact with the skirt guard. This, however, is simply a warning which is far from a concrete measure to avoid or reduce the problem. Such a caution member may be an insert strip.